Sunday, July 5, 2026

Environmental Science

Animal behaviorEnvironmental Science

Making Sense of Senses: How Well Can Birds Smell?

Many vertebrates in the animal kingdom have a highly-developed sense of smell, but what about birds? This article highlights what we know about how birds use olfaction to traverse their daily lives, and outlines what is still unknown.

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EcosystemsEnvironmental ScienceRemote Environments

Physical and Biological Impacts of Deep-Sea Mining are Still Apparent on the Seafloor after Four Decades

Scientists recently revisited the site of a deep-sea mining test performed over four decades ago to see how well the seafloor had recovered. Their research highlights the persistent impact of deep-sea mining on the physical and biological environment of the deep ocean’s abyssal plains.

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Environmental ScienceSustainabililty

AI’s Water Footprint: The Environmental Price of Innovation

AI models have a huge water footprint that most people do not even consider when they use generative AI. Behind every chatbot response or image generated lies the hidden cost of fresh water. Training and running large AI models like GPT-3 can consume millions of liters of freshwater, from cooling servers to producing electricity. This ‘thirst’ is often overlooked on multiple fronts, by consumers as well as industries because companies rarely report their full water use across data centers, electricity generation, and hardware manufacturing. Without greater transparency and sustainable practices, the rapid growth of generative AI challenges global water scarcity at a time access to clean water is already under threat.

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EcosystemsEnvironmental ScienceRestoration

Turning a New Leaf: Extracting the Invasive Water Hyacinth for Medicinal Treatments

Featured Image Caption: The Water hyacinth is a floating plant that has clusters of leaves, lavender spiked flowers, and feathery

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Environmental ScienceRestoration

Camera Clicks for Conservation: Park Tourists will Pay up to Protect Land for Wildlife

Wildlife watching is a booming industry worth millions of dollars, but will tourists in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks pay to save species?

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Animal behaviorEnvironmental ScienceSustainabililty

Plight of the Bumblebees: How Traffic Noise Disrupts Bumblebee-Mediated Tomato Pollination 

An ever-expanding human population means more roads, more cars, and more traffic noise. But how does all this racket affect the animals living alongside us, like bees? A recent study examines whether increasing noise pollution affects the pollination behavior of bumblebees, and outline implications for the future of urban agriculture.

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Animal behaviorEnvironmental Science

Having Friends Makes Crows More Resilient to Light Pollution

Light pollution can negatively affect animals’ sleep, behavior, and physiology. A recent study in crows suggests that social interactions can reduce the adverse effects of light pollution.

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Environmental ScienceRemote Environments

Antarctica’s geography reveals its ancient origins and hints toward the continent’s future

In a new study published in Nature Geoscience, researchers investigate the underlying geography of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet and identify fragments of a coastal plain that inform how these ice shelves could respond to warming global temperatures.

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